1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to headwear and, more particularly, to a headwear piece with a surface engageable with a wearer's head and having a variable effective diameter.
2. Background Art
The headwear industry is driven by the goal of designing new products that are more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The goal of comfort is particularly important for headwear that is worn on a regular basis during participation in activities, such as baseball-style caps worn while playing baseball/softball, visors worn while playing golf, etc.
Visors have become increasingly popular due to their versatility. The forwardly projecting rim/bill on the visor affords the user frontal protection against the sun, rain, etc. At the same time, the open top of the crown leaves the top of the user's head exposed, which is desirable particularly when the visor is worn in pleasant weather conditions.
Many different structures have been devised to maintain the visor in an operative position on the wearer's head. In the most common construction, a continuous surface on the crown is caused to engage the wearer's head. In one form, an adjustable strap is integrated at the rear of the visor. By reconfiguring the strap, the user can select an appropriate diameter, within an afforded range, that is most comfortable. Generally, with this design, only a modicum of change in the effective diameter is permitted from the selected diameter. As a result, the initial fitting is often carried out on a trial-and-error basis. That is, the user will select a desired diameter, try the visor on for feel, and then remove the same to make further adjustments. It is common to witness wearers of this type of visor repeatedly making adjustments even after an initial size was selected with the belief that it represented the optimal fit. Further adjustments may also be necessitated in the event that the state of the user's hair changes, as in high humidity or rainy conditions, or in the event that the user rearranges his or her hair.
It is also common with this type of adjusting mechanism to employ a hook and loop fastener that allows selective interconnection of strap parts. While this structure is generally convenient, there is a tendency of the user's hair to become entangled in the fastening material.
Other types of adjusting structure include snaps, D clips, etc. With most of these structures, one contends with the problem that the limited “give” in the engaging surface makes it difficult to find an optimal diameter that produces a comfortable feel. If the fit is too tight, the visor causes discomfort. If it is too loose, the visor tends to shift on the wearer's head. The user may find that by reason of the relatively small vertical dimension of the crown surface, the diameter that is selected for best feel may not effectively maintain the visor in place on the wearer's head. This problem may be alleviated to a certain extent by existing fabrics that are capable of stretching within a limited range of size adjustment.
Another popular visor design has a crown with a U-shaped, clip configuration. The base of the “U” supports the rim/bill. Spaced legs project away from the base and grippingly engage the wearer's head at the sides thereof immediately above the ear region. This design is desirable particularly for those with relatively long hair. The legs can be conveniently passed through the hair at the sides of the wearer's head, rather than fully over the hair.
The problem with the above, “clip-type”, visor is that a good balance between comfort and holding force may be difficult to achieve. The holding force is established primarily by reason of the user's head being squeezed between the legs. As a result, there is a relatively concentrated holding force applied by the legs, which tends to dig into the user's head. The user's head may thus be uncomfortably pinched. A reduction in pressure may cause the visor to slip undesirably. This type of visor is commonly used by women during the playing of golf. Consequently, it is important that the visor stay in place during this activity but also that it be comfortable for the wearer.
While the above design issues and problems are commonly faced by those designing what might be considered active headwear, such as baseball caps and visors, these problems are also experienced with virtually any type of headwear styles, including even formal headwear. The industry actively continues to pursue new designs with the above-noted objectives in mind.